I claim:
1. A slitter knife system operational within a slitter machine, comprising:
a main housing having a main interior;
a chuck housing positioned within said main housing, wherein said chuck housing has a chuck interior and a center bore extending from said chuck interior;
a plunger member having a shaft portion and a broad portion, wherein said shaft portion slidably extends through said center bore and said broad portion is slidably positioned within said chuck interior;
a spring positioned within said chuck housing and between a wall of said chuck housing and said plunger member thereby forcing said plunger member into an outward position;
a first passage extending into said chuck housing to said chuck interior for providing air pressure to said chuck interior thereby forcing said plunger member into an inward position;
an arbor member rotatably positioned about an extended portion of said chuck housing for receiving an upper knife;
a clamp member having a slot positionable upon said arbor member adjacent said upper knife; and
an outer bearing attached to a distal portion of said shaft portion of said plunger member in selective engagement with said clamp member for retaining said clamp member adjacent said upper knife when said plunger member is within said inward position.
2. The slitter knife system of claim 1, wherein said arbor member includes a receiver portion extending from a main body of said arbor member for receiving said upper knife.
3. The slitter knife system of claim 2, wherein said clamp member includes an inner lip within a perimeter thereof extending towards and engaging said upper knife.
4. The slitter knife system of claim 3, wherein said receiver portion extends a distance greater than a width of said upper knife for snugly receiving said clamp member.
5. The slitter knife system of claim 1, wherein said slot within said clamp member has a width greater than an outer diameter of said shaft portion.
6. The slitter knife system of claim 1, wherein said outer bearing includes an outer portion and an inner portion, where said outer portion includes a lip portion that engages said clamp member.
7. The slitter knife system of claim 6, including a fastening nut threadably attached to said distal portion of said shaft portion adjacent said inner portion of said outer bearing.
8. The slitter knife system of claim 1, wherein said broad portion of said plunger shaft includes a plunger cavity centrally positioned for receiving a distal end of said spring.
9. The slitter knife system of claim 8, wherein said chuck housing includes a chuck cap member having a chuck cavity centrally positioned for receiving an opposing distal end of said spring.
10. The slitter knife system of claim 1, wherein said broad portion includes a plunger seal within an outer perimeter thereof for sealing within said chuck cavity.
11. A slitter knife system operational within a slitter machine, comprising:
a main housing having a main interior;
a chuck housing positioned within said main housing, wherein said chuck housing has a chuck interior and a center bore extending from said chuck interior;
a plunger member having a shaft portion and a broad portion, wherein said shaft portion slidably extends through said center bore and said broad portion is slidably positioned within said chuck interior;
a spring positioned within said chuck housing and between a wall of said chuck housing and said plunger member thereby forcing said plunger member into an outward position;
a first passage extending into said chuck housing to said chuck interior for providing air pressure to said chuck interior thereby forcing said plunger member into an inward position;
an arbor member rotatably positioned about an extended portion of said chuck housing for receiving an upper knife;
a clamp member having a slot positionable upon said arbor member adjacent said upper knife; and
an engaging structure attached to a distal portion of said shaft portion of said plunger member for selectively engaging said clamp member.
12. The slitter knife system of claim 11, wherein said arbor member includes a receiver portion extending from a main body of said arbor member for receiving said upper knife.
13. The slitter knife system of claim 12, wherein said clamp member includes an inner lip within a perimeter thereof extending towards and engaging said upper knife.
14. The slitter knife system of claim 13, wherein said receiver portion extends a distance greater than a width of said upper knife for snugly receiving said clamp member.
15. The slitter knife system of claim 11, wherein said slot within said clamp member has a width greater than an outer diameter of said shaft portion.
16. The slitter knife system of claim 11, wherein said engaging structure includes an outer bearing having an outer portion and an inner portion, where said outer portion includes a lip portion that engages said clamp member.
17. The slitter knife system of claim 16, including a fastening nut threadably attached to said distal portion of said shaft portion adjacent said inner portion of said outer bearing.
18. The slitter knife system of claim 11, wherein said broad portion of said plunger shaft includes a plunger cavity centrally positioned for receiving a distal end of said spring.
19. The slitter knife system of claim 18, wherein said chuck housing includes a chuck cap member having a chuck cavity centrally positioned for receiving an opposing distal end of said spring.
20. A method of operating a slitter knife unit upon a slitter machine including a chuck housing positioned within a main housing, wherein said chuck housing has a chuck interior and a center bore extending from said chuck interior, a plunger member having a shaft portion and a broad portion, wherein said shaft portion slidably extends through said center bore and said broad portion is slidably positioned within said chuck interior, a spring positioned within said chuck housing and between a wall of said chuck housing and said plunger member thereby forcing said plunger member into an outward position, a first passage extending into said chuck housing to said chuck interior for providing air pressure to said chuck interior thereby forcing said plunger member into an inward position, an arbor member rotatably positioned about an extended portion of said chuck housing for receiving an upper knife, a clamp member having a slot positionable upon said arbor member adjacent said upper knife, and an outer bearing attached to a distal portion of said shaft portion of said plunger member in selective engagement with said clamp member for retaining said clamp member adjacent said upper knife when said plunger member is within said inward position, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) positioning an upper knife upon said arbor member;
(b) positioning said clamp member upon said arbor member adjacent to said upper knife; and
(c) applying air pressure to said first passage thereby forcing said plunger member inwardly until said outer bearing tightly engages said clamp member against said upper knife.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A longwall equipment for mechanical extraction in longwall mining, comprising:
a face conveyor arranged along a coal face;
an extraction machine displaceable along the face conveyor and having shield support units attached to the face conveyor at an angle thereto;
a liquid-filled hydrostatic tube balance with a tube conduit, said liquid-filled hydrostatic tube balance positioned along the coal face on selected elements of the longwall equipment for determining an absolute height position of the selected elements of the longwall equipment, wherein said hydrostatic tube balance is connected to a base station arranged in a gate road and determined precisely in its height as a reference point;
pressure sensors incorporated into the tube conduit and distributed over a course of the longwall equipment on the selected elements of the longwall equipment; and
a central evaluation and control unit, wherein said pressure sensors are connected to the central evaluation and control unit.
2. The longwall equipment according to claim 1, wherein the tube conduit is positioned on top canopies of said shield support units, wherein one of said pressure sensors is assigned to a respective shield support unit.
3. The longwall equipment according to claim 1, wherein the hydrostatic tube balance is arranged on skids of the shield support units, and wherein one of said pressure sensors is assigned to a respective shield support unit.
4. The longwall equipment according to claim 1, wherein the tube conduit of the hydrostatic tube balance is arranged on conveyor troughs of the face conveyor, and wherein one of said pressure sensors is assigned to individual conveyor trough pans spaced apart from one another.
5. The longwall equipment according to claim 1, wherein the extraction machine is connected to the tube conduit of the hydrostatic tube balance, wherein said tube conduit is connected to the base station, and wherein at least one of said pressure sensors is arranged on the extraction machine.
6. The longwall equipment according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of individual hydrostatic tube balances with associated tube conduits and pressure sensors arranged therein are disposed on the selected elements of the longwall equipment.
7. The longwall equipment according to claim 1, wherein a supply line is led from the base station to a face-to-roadway transition, wherein at least two tube conduits installed on different ones of said selected components lead away from said supply line, wherein said at least two tube conduits are connected to one another in a region of an opposite gate road, wherein the pressure sensors incorporated in the at least two tube conduits each have the same distance from the face-to-roadway transition.
8. The longwall equipment according to claim 1, wherein a tube conduit section of the hydrostatic tube balance is installed in a gate road that lies opposite to the gate road accommodating the base station.
9. The longwall equipment according to claim 8, wherein a pressure control valve is arranged at an end of the tube conduit section for formation of a pressurized hydrostatic tube balance closed at both ends.
10. The longwall equipment according to claim 8, wherein an overflow basin forming a highest point of the hydrostatic tube balance is arranged at an end of the tube conduit section in order to form a hydrostatic tube balance open at one end.
11. The longwall equipment according to claim 10, wherein the base station is arranged in a lower-lying gate road.
12. The longwall equipment according to claim 10, wherein one of the pressure sensors of the hydrostatic tube balance that lies closest to the overflow basin is disposed at a defined height below the overflow basin.
13. The longwall equipment according to claim 1, wherein a connection for filling of the hydrostatic tube balance with liquid is disposed at the base station.